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Good morning, I'm Dan Gartland. I'll be cheering hard for Cape Verde tonight against Saudi Arabia. Everyone wants to see the Blue Sharks advance to the knockout stage, don't they?
In today's SI:AM:
🇺🇸 U.S. takes it easy
⛹️♂️ 2027 NBA draft prospects
⛹️♀️ WNBA rookie watch
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That's why they're the B team
It's quite a luxury to watch your team concede in the dying moments and simply think, "Oh well, no big deal."
The U.S. men's national team dropped its final World Cup group stage match to Türkiye, 3–2, on a goal from Kaan Ayhan in the eighth minute of stoppage time.
But does it really matter?
The result had no impact on the U.S.'s tournament run, as they had already secured first place in the group after back-to-back victories in their opening two matches. Consequently, manager Mauricio Pochettino named a starting lineup made up almost entirely of reserve players. The only player who started all three matches was midfielder Weston McKennie. Several regular starters did appear later as substitutes (including Christian Pulisic, who came on in the 58th minute after sitting out the Australia match with a calf injury), but Pochettino clearly had one eye on what lies ahead. None of the four starters who risked suspension with a yellow card (Folarin Balogun, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson) featured in the game.
A victory would have given the U.S. its first flawless group stage at a men's World Cup, but Pochettino downplayed that milestone and focused on bigger ambitions.
"Making history is winning the World Cup, not winning three games," he said.
The U.S. will take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in the knockout round on Wednesday. The Americans head into that match off a defeat, but thanks to Pochettino's careful management of the Türkiye fixture, their full complement of key players will be available.
History for Marina Mabrey
Unless you're a dedicated WNBA follower, Marina Mabrey might not be a name you recognize. But it's time to change that.
Mabrey equaled the WNBA single-game scoring record with 53 points for the Tempo in last night's 125–97 victory over the Sparks, matching the mark previously set by A'ja Wilson (in 2023) and Liz Cambage (in '18). Riquna Williams, who scored 51 points in a game in '13, is the only other player in WNBA history to reach the 50-point mark.
Mabrey is a seasoned veteran who has put together eight solid but unremarkable seasons, averaging 13.1 points per game. She was a second-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2019 and was left unprotected in the expansion draft this spring by the Sun.
Mabrey is flourishing in a bigger role with the Tempo, however, averaging 21.2 points per game. And it's not just about one explosive performance. Heading into last night's game, she was already averaging 19.4 points per game — still comfortably the best of any season in her career. She set a then-career-high 37 points last week against Connecticut, hitting nine three-pointers in that game to tie the WNBA single-game record, a mark she matched again last night.
It was also a landmark evening for the Tempo as a team, who established a new WNBA single-game regulation scoring record. The previous benchmark was 123 points, set by the Mercury back in 2010.
Mabrey was so locked in that she had no idea she was approaching the record until her sister, Michaela, who was seated courtside, let her know.
"There's no stat board in our gym," Mabrey told reporters. "After you get into a state like that, it's kind of hard to know what you're really doing, but my teammates made it known, so I knew I was doing something good."
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The best of Sports Illustrated
The top five…
… things I saw yesterday:
5. Netherlands forward Memphis Depay's hilariously botched bicycle kick attempt.
4. Marina Mabrey's Wilt Chamberlain reference after dropping 53.
3. Sebastian Berhalter's one-touch screamer for the second U.S. goal.
2. Anthony Elanga's long-range strike to level things up for Sweden against Japan. The match ended 1–1, but Sweden improved their chances of reaching the knockout stage by picking up a point.
1. Bryce Harper's go-ahead home run for the Phillies in the ninth inning against the Nationals. It marked the third consecutive day the Phillies took the lead with a ninth-inning homer — the first time in MLB history that's ever occurred. (Harper also gestured toward the Washington crowd as he circled the bases in response to the "F--- Bryce Harper" chants directed at him during the game. Harper, however, maintains he extended his ring finger, not the middle finger.)
Today's best reads
USMNT Player Ratings vs. Türkiye: Berhalter's Brilliance Ends With Meaningless Defeat
USMNT Predicted Lineup vs. Turkiye: World Cup Group D
Three Ways the USMNT May Approach the Dead Rubber vs. Turkiye—World Cup
The Highest Paid USMNT Players at the 2026 World Cup—Ranked
USMNT Is Cruising, But Mauricio Pochettino Still Has Big Decisions to Make
Dan Gartland writes Sports Illustrated's flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, and is the host of the "Stadium Wonders" video series. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).